Risk Management and Emergency Management
IDRiM Cafe
30th June, 2021

Andrew E. Collins
Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences /Disaster and Development Network (DDN)
Northumbria University, UK
andrew.collins@northumbria.ac.uk

Ways of interpreting differences between risk
management and emergency management• Probability• Prevention and response• Time• Power• Culture

Disaster management
cycle and development

Crisis2

Processes that influence in the characteristics
of risk and emergency management in practiceBasis:E.g.
• Knowledge - for engaging risk and emergency• Power - constraints and enablers of being able to engage risk and emergency• Culture - choice, motivation and belief in engaging risk and emergency
Processes that can distinguish risk and emergency management:E.g.
• Decision making in contexts of uncertainty• Building up early as well as building back better• Approximating more distant responsibilities (sustainability)• Distinguishing who decides• Enabling of values and hope3

Some influences on the risk management process inrelation to criticality of the threat
Stakeholder politics

Measurement

Knowledge integration
Decision potential

Knowledge/understandingPerception

Risk
Assessment

MakingDisasterThreatInstitutional learning
Investment in research
Investment in legislation

Decision
Making

Risk
Management

Risk reduction
Risk transfer
Risk ownership/responsibility

Collins, A.E. (2009) Disaster and Development, Routledge, p.222

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Why it matters to recognise different
emphases in risk and emergency management• Disasters need not be inevitable, but are!
• Complex disaster causes and outcomes demandboth aspects• To be able to enhance institutionalised
management systems – entry points through bothprevention and response modus operandi (a particular
way or method of doing something)5UK system of emergency and risk management• Until 2000 Emergency Management a very military concern; risk mainly about quantifying likelihood and impact• 2001 Civil Contingencies Secretariat established in Cabinet Office - Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) of 2004
introduced a unifying framework for civil protection in the UK• Structure of UK emergency management also became more decentralized. Local agencies, such as police, fireand rescue and ambulance as first responders. Command and Control system - Bronze (operational), Silver(tactical), Gold (strategic) via Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBRA).
• However, responsive mode became challenged by risk orientated frameworks.
• Leading to, for example, the Strategic National Framework for Community Resilience (2011) UK Resilienceembedded as further Cabinet Office strategy – Local Resilience Forums – All of Society Approach• Represented a move towards risk, resilience and response as a more joined up area of policy and practice• Local Resilience also featured in a National Security Capabilities Review (2017)• Drivers of change: Terrorist threat, cyber security, flooding … and pandemic as significant influences.
• Current: Longer term risk assessments and environmental sustainability concerns gaining greater traction. E.g.
COP26 shining a spotlight. Clean energy prerogative as integrated Disaster Risk and Climate Adaptation more on
the horizon scan (though late).

Observations:
Major changes in policy orientations happening more quickly.
Cross cutting issues more universal. i.e. risk and emergency management more pervasive
across contrasting political ideologies, as a common agenda strategic aim.
As everywhere, need more radical investment in prevention through speeded up
sustainability agenda. This needs combined risk and emergency management.
6Some key points about researching risk andemergency management: what IDRiM can do• Aim for improved planetary well-being through risk
and emergency management driven research• Encourage innovation through exploratory researchon the management of risk and emergencies• Facilitate inclusive approaches to disaster risk andemergency management• Improve communication of integrated risk andemergency management options through theircritical applications
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